Bill expected to streamline Ohio adoptions

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio House has passed a bill that is expected to make adoptions cheaper and quicker.

The bill passed Wednesday with bipartisan support would increase the tax credit for an adoption from $1,500 to $10,000 and allows parents to spread the credit over five years.

The bill, now headed to the Senate, also allows the birth mother to notify the father before the baby is born that she plans to give it up for adoption, giving the father 30 days to consent.

If there is no such pre-birth notification, the period for the birth father to register would be reduced from 30 days after the baby is born to seven days. It also would reduce the period in which an adoption could be challenged from one year to 60 days.